Referring to FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings, it is known to mount a pedestrian-protecting air-bag 1 in a vehicle 2 beneath a rear part of the vehicle's bonnet 3. The air-bag 1 is mounted adjacent the windscreen 4 of the vehicle 2. The air-bag 1 is configured to be inflated in the event that the vehicle 2 collides with a pedestrian. The air-bag 1 inflates to the state shown in FIG. 1 in which first and second side wing portions 5, 6 of the air-bag 1 at least partly cover the A-pillars 7, 8 of the vehicle 2. The inflated air-bag 1 provides a cushion which minimises the likelihood of the head or torso of the pedestrian striking the windscreen 4 or the A-pillars 7, 8 of the vehicle 2. The air-bag 1 thereby minimises the risk of injury to the pedestrian.
A conventional pedestrian-protecting air-bag is normally folded tightly and held within a housing so that the air-bag occupies as little space as possible in the vehicle when the air-bag is not inflated. One disadvantage of folding the air-bag tightly is that, in some situations the tight folds in the fabric of the air-bag restrict the inflation of the air-bag. This can increase the inflation time and distort the shape of the air-bag as the air-bag inflates.